Chapter 04: Spirited Away
Spirited Away (神隠し, Kami-kakushi) is the fifth chapter of the Tasogare Otome × Amnesia manga series. Teiichi Niiya is confronted by a mysterious girl who knows about the existence of Yuuko Kanoe. Unbeknownst to Yuuko, Teiichi faces a test of his own beliefs as he finds himself in a dilemma between the fear of the nonliving and his trust in Yuuko. Synopsis Another school day begins in Seikyou Academy. While Teiichi goes on his usual visit to the shoe lockers, he discovers that there's a letter inside his locker. However, before he could peek into its contents, Yuuko lunges at her from behind. Teiichi tries to not act suspicious as he tries to hide the letter he just received and he watches as Yuuko shows her summer uniform, which is simply Yuuko not wearing stockings for the meantime. Yuuko continues to tease Teiichi, but her sharp eyes easily caught something that Teiichi is trying to hide, so she decides to let Teiichi go his class. However, she can't shrug off the feeling of Teiichi hiding something from her. Teiichi sighs as he remembers how clingy Yuuko has been throughout the past few days, and thinks of opening the letter inside the classroom. However, he discovers that doing so will create misunderstandings as a curious Yuuto goes to grab the letter Teiichi has, mistaking it for a love letter. However, the letter talks about something else than asking for a date: I want to talk about the the girl behind you. After school, at the Kaede Hill grave, come alone. Yuuto feels chills down his spine, as he knows Teiichi has no one sitting behind him (as Teiichi sits at the far back of the classroom), but Teiichi thinks that he knows who the letter is pertaining to. Soon, Yuuto realizes that it might be dangerous, since Yuuko's grave is found at Kaede Hill, and it might be just a prank by people who know about the Paranormal Investigation Club. Teiichi decides to check it out in spite of Yuuto's warning, since he knows the letter talks about Yuuko herself. While Teiichi pursues a mysterious shadow on his way up Kaede Hill, Yuuko feels uneasy with Teiichi coming later than usual on the clubroom. Soon, someone opens the door to the clubroom... and to her disappointment, it is Momoe Okonogi, who appears to be waiting for Teiichi as well. Teiichi soon reaches the mysterious figure on the tree where Yuuko's grave marker stands, and he is greeted by a fellow student of Seikyou Academy. The mysterious student soon exposes her identity, and tells Teiichi of his imminent fate: "You are being spirited away." Yuuko finds herself helpless and annoyed, unable to talk to anyone, especially to Teiichi. Dark clouds can be seen on the window behind the club president's desk, and rain is imminent. Teiichi continues his confrontation with the girl who sent him the mysterious letter, and he listens as the girl tells him that he has been charmed by an evil spirit... and he is now victim to one of the school's Seven Mysteries: the story of being "Spirited Away". According to the girl, the story tells of the wandering spirit of a girl who died in an accident; the spirit eventually searches for people who could understand her feelings and takes them to Kaede Hill to steal their hearts. Teiichi, denying such a story is true, prepares to leave, when the girl reminds Teiichi that only spirits with strong lingering attachments to this world can become spirits, and those attachments are intensified by negative emotions. Thus, according to the mysterious girl, there are no spirits that do not think of their own selfish gains. The girl soon gives Teiichi some reminders about strengthening his mind before leaving. As the girl leaves behind a confused Teiichi, rain begins to fall in Seikyou Academy. Inside the Paranormal Investigation Club headquarters, Momoe talks to herself about telling Teiichi about the story of "Spirited Away", however, her version of Spirited Away is much different. According to Momoe, the story did not involve a girl who died in an accident... this version tells of a girl who was taken by a god who was angered by the construction of a school over its shrine. The story made Yuuko uneasy, and she decides to look for Teiichi herself. Rain pours over Yuuko as she finds herself at the foot of Kaede Hill. Putting aside her discomfort over visiting her grave marker, she makes way for the top of the hill, crossing paths with the girl who confronted Teiichi a while ago. Yuuko soon finds Teiichi slumped by the tree that shelters Yuuko's gravestone from the rain, and she embraces Teiichi tightly, telling him how she is worried of him. However, unknown to Yuuko, Teiichi's face shows a mixture of fear and puzzlement in his face. Characters By order of appearance *Teiichi Niiya *Yuuko Kanoe *Yuuto *Momoe Okonogi 'New Characters' *Kirie Kanoe Locations *Paranormal Investigation Club Headquarters *Kaede Hill 'New Locations' *Middle School Entrance and Locker Rooms, Seikyou Academy Quotes *"There isn't a single spirit in this world that doesn't have its own selfish goals in mind!!" — Kirie Kanoe's statement on the existence of spirits in the living world *"'Never let your mind be taken by something you don't know'. 'Those of the living are stronger than those of the dead.' If you remember those two things, you too might be able to survive." — Kirie's last words before ending her confrontation with Teiichi Category:Manga Chapters